For those who love board sports, whatever you do, do not miss the Caledonian lagoon! With perfectly smooth water, almost constant breezes, waves for a technical challenge. In Nouméa or off the coast of the main island, windsurfing, kitesurfing, surfing and bodyboarding are perfect to do all throughout the year!

Nouméa, the capital city of New Caledonia is on the ocean. Several bays extend along the city, providing magnificent beaches and points of view. Besides its natural features, Nouméa also has very attractive cultural offerings for tourists who choose to visit there.

From Ouvéa to the Isle of Pines, passing through Lifou, Tiga and Maré, the five islands bordering the Mainland, Grande Terre to the East are yet more gems to discover. From the blue hole of Hanawa at Ouvéa to the Warrior’s Leap at Wakone on Maré, via the Jokin Cliffs at Lifou or the Oro Bay on the Isle of Pines, let yourself be amazed!

The West Coast of the mainland (Grande Terre) shows off a great variety of scenery from its northern tip down to the area surrounding Nouméa. Characterised by both large spaces favouring cattle farming and a lagoon of stunning beauty, the West Coast is also host to a rich cultural heritage.

The central mountain range of the Mainland (Grande Terre) is a natural boundary, overlooking the very different faces of the East and West Coasts. Exposed to strong winds and therefore more humid, the eastern coast offers scenery with sumptuous flora. With a population of largely Melanesian origin, the East Coast has also retained a particularly charming flavour of authenticity.

The Great South, comprising the Mont-Dore and Yaté municipalities, is the most symbolic region for New Caledonia’s three main colours: blue, green and red. From the rainforest to the mining lands there are a thousand shades of green, while the ocean offers a dazzling palette of blues. But if one colour dominates the Great South, it is the specific red of its ground.

Bélep
an archipelago at the heart of the lagoon

The Bélep archipelago is still today a place shrouded in mystery since so few people visit it. Far from anything, and virtually self-governing, the community living there is still very independent, so you shouldn’t visit the archipelago without first having some sense of adventure.

Located at the far north of New Caledonia, around 60 kilometers offshore from Poum, the Bélep archipelago (Dau Ar in the Nyelävu language, literally meaning “sun islands”) is part of the North province and extends over some forty kilometers. Only the untouched and inhabited reefs of Entrecasteaux, separated from the Bélep archipelago by the “Great Passage”, a strait some 500 to 600 meters deep, can be found further north, about 100 km to the north-northwest.

A lagoon classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site

The archipelago has three main islands: Art, Pott and Dau Ac. One of these, the largest one, Art, whose capital is Waala, is inhabited. Just over 800 people currently live there, mainly Kanaks or métis who make up 99.7% of the population. They are divided into eight tribes, all concentrated around Waala on the west coast of Art.

The Caledonian lagoon zone, where the Bélep archipelago is located, is one of the six chosen in 2008 by the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to be part of its list of world heritage sites for humanity.

Strong traditions

Lacking any tourist amenities, the archipelago has kept an authenticity that is almost unique in New Caledonia. Although this sort of double-insularity grants it its own identity, you should still be aware. If you go there, be sure you bring a small “custom” gift to the tribal chief because traditions are stronger here than elsewhere.

Marist priests had a decisive influence on the archipelago’s history. Pierre Lambert (1822-1903) founded the Bélep mission (1856-1863), which was short-lived especially due to a lack of missionaries. As for Marie-Joseph Dubois (1913-1998), he lived shortly in Bélep (1940-1941), but he’s responsible for A Summarized History of Bélep (1985), where he recounted traditional history as told orally for generations, which resulted in a written genealogy of the chiefdoms going back to the early 16th century!

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What to do in Bélep?

While there is no tourism development, fishing is still the town’s main activity. 40% of the companies operate in this sector of production.

Enjoy a 5-night stay at the Sheraton Deva Resort & Spa overlooking the stunning Bourail lagoon and UNESCO World Heritage barrier reef. The resort also boasts a lovely outdoor pool, a Deep Nature Spa offering a great selection of treatments.